Yudron wrote:Wow Old Bob--one day I get the impression you think KY is a hero liberating Dzogchen from the evil “Dharma Police” and the next day he is a demon selling Dzogchen to the highest bidder. May I humbly suggest that both are just concepts?

My own conceptual dualistic mind wants to interject something here, for better or worse. However the DC lamas present Dzogchen is between them and their students. The larger Nyingma world is going right on following lamas who have chosen to pass down the Dzogrim and Dzogchen with samaya to not chatter about it in public. Very serious samayas, taken with a lady with one sharp tooth as a witness. Somewhere in the transmission between Adzom Drupka—who was very strict about such things—and KY, some lineage holder decided not to pass on this samaya to his disciples. That is a lama’s decision, and I have no opinion about it. However, in case some of you are not in contact with traditional Nyingma lamas, I just want to chime in here and let you know that there is a big wide world of both the monastic and the yogi tradition who are carrying on keeping the Heart Essence in their hearts, not on the internet or in the town square. That is the gold standard.

Please consider this when you make posts about rushen and thogal here, it looks really weird to folks outside the context of the DC and Bon.

Hi Yudron,

May I humbly suggest that your characterizations about what your impressions were about what I was writing or thinking about K Yeshe have nothing to do with what I wrote or intended and are 100 % your own projections. Sorry dear - not guilty of that one. But I do agree with you that all judgements are just concepts.

Yeah, I've always experienced ChNN to have the same views toward samaya concerning discretion in talking about these practices and engaging in them as my other very traditional teachers. I think Rinpoche is unique and liberal in some ways but in many ways he's a lot more conservative than we sometimes think.

* Just to clarify, the "yeah" at the beginning of this post was because I thought I was posting right after Sherlock and e going his POV but apparently a couple of y'all beat me to the punch.

"He offers direct introduction with every webcasted retreat, not just three times a year."

That statement is about ChNNR, no? I certainly agree that ChNNR does it every retreat. But did you get a direct introduction from Yeshe on this Saturday? Did he say he would give it?

/magnus

It is true that ChNN Rinpoche is giving DI in most retreats. However, it is always clear to everybody when Rinpoche is transmitting. No mystery, no doubt like maybe yes, maybe no.... It is there/here for everybody! Whether everybody is able to recognize the state of Dzogchen or not at the moment of the transmission, it is however an other question... But the intellectual mind, at least, can understand the procedure and can repeat it afterwards as many times it is necessary for discovering the experience (as Rinpoche is saying). No mystery! No haze!

I am surprised to see here people argue whether there was a DI or not. I did not follow this teaching, so I have no idea. The best would be, for people who are interested, to ask directly Khyentse Yeshe and go beyond any doubt and haze.

"My view is as vast as the sky, but my actions are finer than flour" ~ Padmasambhava ~

I think I am more interested in figuring out how can you reach the "me" generation and teach them kindness. Anyone have any ideas?

OB,

Perhaps you should teach Mahayana. Be the change you want to see in the world.

As far as what KY taught today, i heard several things that i can begin to put into practice, to bring to fruition. He said enough that was practical, that will carry me for a long time to come. And for this i am grateful. His personal "style" is irrelevant to me.

I could chittle and chattle on some more but there is no point in doing so. Everyone will hear from todays teachings what they are able to hear based on their previous experience, on their frame of reference.

If i were to offer anything here, it would be to remind people of something that ChNN has been saying alot lately, that dzogchen is not a tradition. Of course people organize and codify the teachings they hear, they write books, etc., this is one of the things that people do, but when you get right down to it, dzogchen cannot be organized or codified in any way whatsoever. This is why the way KY lives his life, the way he teaches, makes his living, etc. etc. etc. is irrelevant to me. It is a subtle but important point i think. At least for me. Lol.

Ciao.

Hmnnnnn - Teach the Mahayana?

Two ways to approach the issue of approaching the Yeshe Lama from the point of view of the Mahayana.

I fear that many normal people run away from the DC because of the apparent lack of kindness of its members and some of the hierarchical social structures, especially as regards to equal access to the Teachings.

The traditional nundro teachings / SMS base level teachings, create a practical context from which the higher views can grow.

A Mahayana approach, (Dzogchen as if kindness matters) as applied to the recent Teaching of the Yeshe Lama by K Yeshe, could have the characteristics of:

Having a better translator for English, both in terms of English pronunciation and knowledge of the subject matter.

Use a de-esser to remove sibilance (the hissing sssss souud at the end of words) in the translators voice.

Learn to allow the translator enough time to do the translation, before starting to speak again.

Allowing the syllabus /text to be available on line, before the teaching started, so that everyone could follow along. (Not just those who had the great good fortune, and funds, to already own the text.)

Having better audio quality, and balance, between the translator's voice and K Yeshe's voice.

Allowing CDs and DVDs to be sold at cost.

Allowing replays so that those of the DC who are far from the Italian time zone wouldn't have to wake up in the middle of the night and disrupt their energy for the following day's work / activities, and this applies especially to the sick and elderly.

Allowing replays in an MP3 form that do not have to be restarted from the beginning if the play is interrupted.

Organizing Yeshe Lama study groups / practice groups at the different Gars and Lings of the DC.

Organizing transcripts of the talks to be available at low cost.

Have the retreat cost be on a sliding scale so that no one is turned away from lack of funds, and clearly publish this.

Have the retreat allow for doable work study for anyone seeking it.

etc, etc.

I am sure that many other ideas of kindly changes can be thought of and forwarded to K Yeshe for his kindly consideration.

I think there are many who cannot get the teachings. Of course we can say: this is THEIR karma. I hear that so often regarding every suffering and so I am guided to have a icy heart. Its' cool, man! Shut up muni, knit your sock!The concern to make Buddha's teachings accessible is never a concern who need my opinion. Therefore I have no thing to say. Or maybe to make Dharma medicine able for disabled ones as well, no exclusion, mind makes no any exclusions at all. I don't know how is the Dzogchen Community, but Dharma can flourish from within understanding and so make it accessible for all, in appropriate way. Since those who can only read about all the great given lung and chang, is for me the same as seeing the delightful way for freedom from within the prison.

Teachings in a language breaking the icy heart has no permanent solid name.

of the core of the teaching. Thank you deeply for yours concern. Homage.

muni wrote:I think there are many who cannot get the teachings. Of course we can say: this is THEIR karma. I hear that so often regarding every suffering and so I am guided to have a icy heart.

Many seem to be. The idea that since one's problems are one's karma - and that since the absolute always absolutely outweighs the relative - we can more or less ignore relative suffering or limitations of others, unfortunately appears to be very widespread among Buddhists in the West, Dzogchen practitioners included.

Using one's commitment to absolute bodhicitta as an excuse to abandon one's commitment to relative bodhicitta: truly, a miracle of rare device.

treehuggingoctopus wrote:Many seem to be. The idea that since one's problems are one's karma - and that since the absolute always absolutely outweighs the relative - we can more or less ignore relative suffering or limitations of others, unfortunately appears to be very widespread among Buddhists in the West, Dzogchen practitioners included.

Using one's commitment to absolute bodhicitta as an excuse to abandon one's commitment to relative bodhicitta: truly, a miracle of rare device.

Yes. Since buddhist methods or dzogchen method is enfolding nature; buddhist practices leading to the figurative all embracing ocean and dzogchen practice remaining the figurative all embracing ocean, it is clear separation of the two truths cannot free us from samsara's habits.Vajra space or whatever word, wordless in no separation.

muni wrote:The concern to make Buddha's teachings accessible is never a concern who need my opinion.

treehuggingoctopus wrote:Many seem to be. The idea that since one's problems are one's karma - and that since the absolute always absolutely outweighs the relative - we can more or less ignore relative suffering or limitations of others, unfortunately appears to be very widespread among Buddhists in the West, Dzogchen practitioners included.

Using one's commitment to absolute bodhicitta as an excuse to abandon one's commitment to relative bodhicitta: truly, a miracle of rare device.

I do remember when CNN said that our behavior should be based on Bodhicaryāvatāra. He also said that "working with circumstances" does not mean to do whatever bad thing we want. We should respect all dimensions and not create problems for someone.It is student responsibility to achieve a correct understanding of teachings.

A practicant should be strict with himself and tolerant with others.If others are interested or not, sincere or not, responsible or not, this is the job of the Teacher and Dharmapalas.

I don't want to distract the discussion with technical issues, but this

Dronma wrote: The real problem is that there is no replay of the teaching that oldbob is talking about.

you can also fix partially. There is the possibility to record the teaching from the webcast while running, for example with a sound recording program like Audacity (free download, easy to use). You can then later listen to the file again and again.

Of course, in this case you should at least be online at the beginning of the teaching to start the recording.

I don't want to distract the discussion with technical issues, but this

Dronma wrote: The real problem is that there is no replay of the teaching that oldbob is talking about.

you can also fix partially. There is the possibility to record the teaching from the webcast while running, for example with a sound recording program like Audacity (free download, easy to use). You can then later listen to the file again and again.

Of course, in this case you should at least be online at the beginning of the teaching to start the recording.

Greetings

Thank you, Xango. But, 1) now it is too late, and 2) it is not legal, nor ethical.....

"My view is as vast as the sky, but my actions are finer than flour" ~ Padmasambhava ~

I don't want to distract the discussion with technical issues, but this

Dronma wrote: The real problem is that there is no replay of the teaching that oldbob is talking about.

you can also fix partially. There is the possibility to record the teaching from the webcast while running, for example with a sound recording program like Audacity (free download, easy to use). You can then later listen to the file again and again.

Of course, in this case you should at least be online at the beginning of the teaching to start the recording.

Greetings

Thank you, Xango. But, 1) now it is too late, and 2) it is not legal, nor ethical.....

How is it not legal?

Through Dzogchen we can really understand what God is and we don’t have to worry if there is a God or not. God always exists as our real nature, the base, for everybody. - Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

treehuggingoctopus wrote:It is perfectly legal.Regarding ethics, I guess what we should do is get to know what ChNN thinks of such a solution...It is too late for sure, though.

I think its possible to run the risk of over regulating ourselves and also not thinking for ourselves for fear of doing something wrong. I don't see anything wrong with recording for personal use. In my local gars operating procedures for retreats there was(haven't looked at it for 7 or so years) even a section at one time pointing out it was fine for people attending teachings to record a copy for themselves via portable recorders. I don't see it being any different for webcasts.

simhanada wrote:In my local gars operating procedures for retreats there was(haven't looked at it for 7 or so years) even a section at one time pointing out it was fine for people attending teachings to record a copy for themselves via portable recorders. I don't see it being any different for webcasts.

This is how things have always been to my knowledge. It is what I was told when I first joined the community as well.

It seems to me that there is neither an ethical nor a legal issue involved if the recordings are made for personal use. Of course a recording renders the wangs and lungs. Neither do I believe there is a legal or ethical issue involved for the closed webcasts, again though, if the recording is made strictly for personal use...

Anyway, considering some of the bizzare hours that the webcasts are made, or due to a students personal and professional responsibilities, do you think it is better for them to miss out on a teaching or to record it and watch it at a later hour?

As for copyright, that only applies if you try to sell the recordings or claim them as you own.